Schools on the AT

Day: 158 (August 30)
Starting location: Carrabassett River
Ending location: Cranberry Stream Campsite
State: ME
Miles today: 10.3
Miles total: 1,993.2

Today we were going into Stratton, ME for a quick resupply. Stratton was about 5 miles off the trail and we were lucky enough to get a ride from a women who just dropped off her daugher at the trail. Stratton was a small town and reminded me a lot of the towns we went through in the south. We got food for the next couple of days until Caratunk, ME and had lunch with Skippy and Wizard at the local diner. After lunch we got a ride back to the trailhead with Skippy and hiked only 2 miles to the nearest campsite. The campsite included a school orientation group from Tufts University in Boston, MA. Recently, there has been a lot of orientation groups on the trail from schools like Harvard and Bowen. It is neat that these small private schools require their students to do a backpacking trip. Can you imagine the entire freshmen class at the University of Florida hitting the AT?

A few people have been asking about trail magic. Well trail magic has slowed down quite a bit. Most the trail magic we found was in the south. Around 1,500 people started in Springer Mt., Georgia this year and at this point it is likely that there are only a few hundred of us left. People who do trail magic perfer to do it in the south because there are many more thru hikers still on the trail and we are less spread out. Doing trail magic in the south you are likely to see 10-15 people a day whereas in the north you would see much less.




Since we were only hiking 2 miles out of town, we decided to create our own trail magic. The wine didn't last long.

Conan + Backwards

Chipping Away

Day: 157 (August 29)
Starting location: Reddington Stream Campsite
Ending location: Carrabasset River
State: ME
Miles today: 15.7
Miles total: 1,982.9

The wind howled all night long and it didn't quit the entire morning. I love hiking in windy conditions because it keeps you cool all day long. When we climbed over Saddleback Junior, the wind was so strong it nearly blew us over. We quickly enjoyed a beautiful view and then hurried off the mountain before the wind carried us off.

The hiking today was pretty and enjoyable despite lots of climbing and descending. We were able to make pretty good miles even on the tough terrain. When we finally finished the steep descent down Sugarloaf Mountain we came to a river crossing and decided to call it a day. Steep descents really take it out of you! But hey it was our longest day mileage wise since Vermont!

Today we crossed under the 200 mile mark. As of right now, we have 196 miles until we reach the summit of Katahdin! We are just chipping away at the miles!




Jason's boots are falling apart. Any bets on whether they will make it to Katahdin?

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Rangeley Lake

Day: 156 (August 28)
Starting location: Rangeley, ME
Ending location: Reddington Stream Campsite
State: ME
Miles today: 8.1
Miles total: 1,967.2

As usual we had a slow start getting out of Rangeley, ME. The metal stay on my pack broke again, so I spent most of the morning doing repairs to my pack with ducktape. I was able to get in touch with Osprey Packs and they are sending a replacent to Caratunk, ME. Hopefully my pack will hold up until then.

Sandy was nice enough to give us a ride back to the trailhead around 12:30pm. We promised him we would send him a postcard once we finished our trip. Most of the rest of the day was uneventful. We climbed Saddleback Mountain which had an awesome view of Rangeley Lake. It was a little hard to believe we were staying on the lake just yesterday.


On top of Saddleback Mountain overlooking Rangeley Lake. Just yesterday we were having drinks on the back porch of our B&B watching planes take off from the lake.

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We Heart Rangeley

Day: 155 (August 27)
Starting location: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Ending location: Rangeley, ME
State: ME
Miles today: 4.8
Miles total: 1,959.1

All night I thought that the moose from the pond was going to crash into our tent. Thankfully for us, he never did. When we awoke in the morning Skippy had already packed up and headed for town. We always seem to be the last ones out of camp! If we didn't set alarm we would easily sleep until 10:00 everyday. It seems as though all our hiking pals are early risers.

We made it into town just in time for lunch. Rangeley is a quaint and cute tourist town located on a series of large lakes. We had heard from family members that we would love town and sure enough we did.

We checked into the Rangeley Lakes Bed and Breakfast which is run by a gentleman named Sandy. Since we were the only guests for the night, he was kind enough to let us do laundry and he even took us to the store to resupply. He really went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable. We chatted with him for hours and we asked him all kinds of questions about Maine. Sandy is an avid sportsman and this fall he was chosen in a lottery to be able to hunt moose. He had been waiting 20 YEARS to be picked and he finally hit the jackpot. He only has a one week window to get his moose, but we would imagine that he will be out there 24/7 until he finds one. Good luck Sandy!

After enjoying happy hour on the back porch which overlooks Rangeley Lake, we ventured out for dinner at Lakeside and Main. Dinner was excellent and we even got a free round of beers on the house because we were thru hikers! They had live music too which is always a treat for us!

I would have to say that Rangeley could possibly be our favorite trail town!




The view from the back porch




Me on Rangeley Lake




The Rangeley Lakes Bed and Breakfast


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Maine Lobster

Day: 154 (August 26)
Starting location: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Ending location: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
State: ME
Miles today: 12.9
Miles total: 1,954.3

So our tent is pretty much bulletproof and we have actually come to think that it may be bombproof. It rained for just about the entire night and not a drop of water made it's way into our tent. The REI Quarter Dome tent is around 4 pounds, which is pretty good for a two person tent. We would recommend it to anyone.

It stopped raining in the early morning and it turned out to be a nice day. Temperatures in Maine have really cooled off with daytime temperatures in the upper 60s and nights in the 40s. Truly perfect hiking weather. During the afternoon, Kristen and I began to put the finishing touches on a rap that we have been working on about the trail. It isn't quite ready for release but stayed turned we will post it in the days to come.

We reached Little Swift River Pond Campsite around 5:30pm and setup camp. We noticed a canoe down by the pond so Skippy, Kristen and I decided to take it out for a spin. We were hoping to see a moose but there were none to be seen. The water was nice and not too cold but none of us decided to go for a swim. After heading back to shore and cooking dinner, we heard what seem like trees breaking. Skippy and I went out into the darkness to investigate. An animal seemed to be walking towards the pond and breaking everything in it's path. Then we heard large splashing in the pond. That was when we knew it was a moose. We were able to shine our headlamps and catch a glimpse of him before he ran away. Count it, we bagged our 2nd moose.

After settling in for the night in our tent, we had a mouse visit us on top of our tent again. After making sure we had no food in our packs, we just went right to sleep. The trail may have very well harden us a bit. Kristen can not only look at snakes now but she can now sleep with mice crawling over our tent. I am so proud. The mice could have held a circus on top of our tent and it wouldn't have bother us.

On a side note, on the radio we have been hearing advertisments for lobsters at Walgreens. Only in Maine would you find a tank of lobsters at a Walgreens. So next time you are in Maine, make sure to you pick yourself up a snuggie and a lobster at the local Walgreens.




Our good friend Skippy. The sad thing is, he started growing his beard the same time I did. I am pretty fortunate that I got my trail name early on in our trip because I may have been in danger of getting a trail name like Spencer Pratt because of my flesch color beard. Hey, it you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at.




Kristen in the canoe on Little Swift River Pond




Long Pond. There was almost a small craft advisory.

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The Rain in Maine

Day: 153 (August 25)
Starting location: Andover, ME
Ending location: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
State: ME
Miles today: 8.7
Miles total: 1,941.4

Stays mainly on the plain right? Nope-- it stays in the mountains. It was another rainy day on the trail. When we left the hostel this morning we were clean and dry. By lunchtime we were dirty and soaked.

You remember in Forest Gump when he talked about all the different kinds of rain in Vietnam? Well we have experienced sunny rain, light rain, heavy rain, sideways rain, and even upside down rain. Today was a cold rain. I heard a DJ on the radio say, "who made summer mad?". It's so true because with the rain and temperatures around 60 degrees it sure feels a lot like fall. Don't worry Florida folks, we aren't complaining about the temperatures, just the rain!

We made it to the shelter around 3:30 but the shelter itself was full. Normally we set our tent up everynight, but when it rains that is the last thing you want to do, so we settle for the shelter. We had no choice but to set our tent up in the rain. To be honest it's the first time we've had to! Right now we are warm and in our dry PJ's. I think it's time for a nap!





Snack time in the tent. Yes that's a Slim Jim.

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Small Town America

Day: 152 (August 24)
Starting location: Frye Notch Lean-to
Ending location: Andover, ME
State: ME
Miles today: 14.6
Miles total: 1,932.7

We finally got a break in the weather and woke up to a sunny day. We knew we were heading into Andover, ME in order to do a small resupply to get us to Rangeley, ME. There were two places on the trail where we could get picked up to go into Andover. One was at 4 miles and the other was at 14 miles. After some thought we decided we would push the additional miles and have the Pine Ellis Hostel pick us up at 6pm. A very nice man from Pine Ellis named David picked us up from the trail and drove us the 9 miles into Andover, ME. Andover is one of those places that if you blinked you might miss the entire town. Everything in the town fit into one block and it was easily the smallest town that we have visited on our entire trip. The town consisted of a general store with a one pump gas station and a small diner in the back with 8 seats. There was a library, a post office, a fire department but no police department or any stop lights. That was it! These small American towns have so much character, we just love it.

Kristen and I have stayed in quite a few hostels during our trip and they provide a cheap way to get shelter for the night. Hostels are basicly bed & breakfasts but without the welcoming charm. Hostels cater to long distance travelers but anyone can stay in one. We have found that hostels are everywhere throughout the country but they often are not the first thing that comes to mind when looking for a place to stay. Hostels provide the most basic of amenities that long distance travelers often go without like a bed, shower, and laundry. To be honest, these things are no longer amenities to us on the trail they have become luxuries. The Pine Ellis Lodging might as well have been a 5 star resort & spa, it didn't make any difference to us. Staying at Pine Ellis was $20 per bed, $3 for laundry, and $5 for a shuttle back to the trailhead. The beds were located in an upstairs room with 6 twin beds spread across the room. I tried to get a bed next to Kristen but the only bed available was across the room. Sorry baby. Everyone should stay in a hostel at least once in their life. Like I tell Kristen, it builds character.




The entire town of Andover

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No Rain Delays on the AT

Day: 151 (August 23)
Starting location: Speck Pond Shelter
Ending location: Frye Notch Shelter
State: ME
Miles today: 10.4
Miles total: 1918.1

The wind blew all night along with a light drizzle. When we stepped out of our tent the weather was down right nasty with fog, rain and chilly temperatures. But as thru hikers we had to keep going. It's not like we can call a rain delay!

We made it halfway up Baldplate Mountain before lunchtime. We ducked into a shelter for a quick meal and continued our hike. The climb up the mountain wasn't terrible, it was the climb down. Picture walking down steep slabs of rocks. Now add some rain and strong winds to that picture. It made for a slow climb down the mountain.

We are happy to be snug in our tent and sleeping bags right now. Hope this dreary weather clears up soon so we can enjoy the beautiful views that everyone talks about!





Jason on Baldplate. We love those rocks in the rain! sike.

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Hardest Mile

Day: 150 (August 22)
Starting location: Full Goose Shelter
Ending location: Speck Pond Shelter
State: ME
Miles today: 5.1
Miles total: 1,907.7

Today we set out with Mahoosuc Notch on our minds. Mahoosuc Notch is widely known as the hardest mile on the entire Appalachian Trail and is descibed as a jumbled pit of giant boulders. Unfortunately, it had rained the night before so it made the boulders even tougher to navigate. To make things even more interesting, it started raining after only a hour of making it through the notch. Slick rocks and roots are the worst and you have to be very careful. Don't worry though, I have already fallen in the state Maine. That makes it 14 out of 14 states that I have fallen. At one point we both had to take our packs off in order to crawl through a small crevass. After two and a half hours of sliding on our butts, swinging from branches, and crawling on all fours we officially finished to hardest mile on the trail. Thank god.

The rest of the day was not easy in a steady, cool rain. We climbed the Mahoosuc Arm which was essentially straight up. We reached Speck Pond Shelter around 3pm and we were both tired, wet, and cold. Despite only doing 5 miles, we decided to call it a day. Southbounders had told us that southern Maine was no joke and they weren't kidding. We spent the rest of the day cuddled up in our sleeping bags inside our tent and listening to the American Country Countdown on the radio. I never was a big fan of country music before this trip but I am now convinced that it is best music out there.

It is cold in the mid 40s and my fingers are beginning to feel numb. Good night.




Navigating Mahoosuc Notch




Kristen going between two large boulders

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The Maine Event

Day: 149 (August 21)
Starting location: Gentian Pond Shelter
Ending location: Full Goose Shelter
State: NH/ME
Miles today: 9.6
Miles total: 1,902.6

We woke up with one thing on our minds. Maine. We had only a few short miles until we would reach the state line. It was a very exciting day!

Around noon we finally came to a sign that read: New Hampshire/ Maine State Line. It was an awesome moment for both of us. To think that we set out 5 months ago to walk from Georgia to Maine and here we were crossing into our last state. To say the least we are both quite proud. It is hard to believe that we have hiked through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virgingia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and now Maine. Thank you feet!
This journey has been incredible thus far and even though we both are ready to be done (yep I said it--I am ready to come home) we are going enjoy Maine and the time we have left together. This is once in a lifetime for us!

Along with being in Maine it also means spotty cell phone coverage. So don't be alarmed if you don't see a post from us for awhile. We will continue to blog every night but we may not have service to post. Just didn't want y'all to get scared!

Ps. For those of you who are lucky enough to live by Walmart we have discovered the Great Value (Walmart Brand) Cherry Limeade juice packets. If you love Sonic's Cherry Limeade you will love this juice, so try it! If only we had some ice....




The state line, wooohooo!


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Reunion

Day: 148 (August 20)
Starting location: Gorham, NH
Ending location: Gentian Pond Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 11.8
Miles total: 1,893.0

Before heading out of town, we made one last stop at the local McDonalds. We heard that Gorham was the last place for fast food on the entire trail so we certainly were going to take advantage. We also made a stop by the local outfitters to get extra fuel and water treatment.

We got a ride to the trailhead which was about 3.5 miles out of town. We heard that the trail actually used to go right through Gorham but was relocated to remain the woods. The ATC has made steps to remove the trail from going right through towns. Personally we are not sure why the ATC would want to do that. We enjoy when the trail goes through town and that it makes resupplying and getting in and out of town much easier. Anyway, we got on the trail in the late afternoon and had a pretty easy hike to the first shelter out of town.

Over the past two days we have seen a lot of hikers that we hadn't seen in a long time. Last night we saw Supermax and Fig and today at the shelter we met up with Skippy and Tree. Skippy and Tree are two of our most favorite people on the trail and it was so great to see them. We hadn't seen Tree since the middle of Virginia and we hadn't seen Skippy since southern Pennsylvania. It is amazing how you can walk hundreds of miles without seeing someone. Hopefully we can hike together for awhile and possibly summit together.

Tomorrow we will enter our 14th and final state. Maine here we come.

Conan + Backwards

Done with the Whites

Day: 147 (August 19)
Starting location: Mt Moriah
Ending location: Gorham, NH
State: NH
Miles today: 5.9
Miles total: 1881.2

We woke up to an amazing sunrise at or campsite. I would have to say that our campsite last night may be my favorite spot of the whole trip. Our view was incredible!

We were on our way by 8:00 and the town gravity was really helping. We had a nice gradual 6 miles before we arrived in Gorham, NH. Once we reached US 2 we were officially finished with the White Mountains. Even though the Whites were spectacular, they were hard and to be honest we are both exhausted. Although, we hear the mountains in Southern Maine are pretty tough too!

Our first stop in town was McDonalds. We quickly scarfed down lunch and headed towards the Walmart, aka hiker heaven. While we were grocery shopping we met a former thru hiker who hiked back in 2000. After chatting for a while he handed us $60 in cash and told us he wanted to pay for our hotel room in town for the night. Talk about trail magic! The random acts of kindess never cease to amaze us out here on the trail! We can't wait until we can pay it forward to thru hikers in the furture.

We headed to Mr. Pizza for dinner where we planned on meeting up with Supermax and Fig. We hadn't seen them in over 900 miles so hopefully we get to hike with them in the coming days.

After dinner we spotted a putt putt course and we both sprinted over to the first tee. We are both pretty competitive so it was a fierce match. After an intense 18 holes, Jason came out victorious by only one stroke. I am waiting for my rematch!



At the golf course



Are you putting down the right scores?


They also had batting cages!

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Stealth Spot

Day: 146 (August 18)
Starting location: Carter Notch
Ending location: Mt Moriah
State: NH
Miles today: 9.3
Miles total: 1,875.3

We didn't have a plan for how far we wanted to go today. So around 4pm we started looking around for stealth spots on top of Mt Moriah. A stealth spot is an unestablishsd campsite that isn't at a shelter or campsite. We enjoy staying at stealth spots off the trail because it allows us to do our own thing and have some privacy. Mt Moriah had amazing views of the entire presidential range and we were able to find a large flat rock to set up our tent.

We had a great night with an amazing sunset. We also recieved great news that our good friends Kacy Farley and Kyle Johnston had gotten engaged a day earlier. We are both very excited for them and can't wait to celebrate once we get home.




Our campsite on Mt Moriah. From left to right: Mt Washington, Mt Jefferson, Mt Adams.




View of Mt Washington from inside our tent




Sunset

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Mail Drop Information

Day: 145 (August 17)
Starting location: Pinkham Notch
Ending location: Carter Notch
State: NH
Miles today: 5.9
Miles total: 1,866.0

After a restful night at M&M's We were able to get an early start back to the trailhead, which is always a good thing. Before we actually hit the trail we made sure to grab a quick lunch at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. We never regret one last meal before leaving town!

Our first few miles were steep as we were climbing Wildcat Mountain. It just kept going and going, up! I knew once we heard the clicking of the Gondola, we were near the top. We hiked on a few more miles and we called it a day when we came across some great stealth spots in Carter Notch.

Some folks have been inquiring about our next mail drop. So if you would like to send us something here is the information!

Please Hold For AT Thru Hikers
Kristen and Jason Klauk
ETA 9/4
General Delivery
Monson, ME 04464



The Whites are incredible!

Conan + Backwards

Incoming Weather

Day: 144 (August 16)
Starting location: Madison Spring Hut
Ending location: Pinkham Notch
State: NH
Miles today: 7.8
Miles total: 1,860.1

We were very fortunate to have great weather through the presidential range. We knew that weather was going to deteriorate late yesterday afternoon into this morning. We woke up to a foggy morning with heavy winds. Mt Madison was the last mountain we had to climb in the presidential range. The climb was steep and rocky but it was nothing compared to the climb down. During the descent, we were belted with very strong winds that almost blow us over at times. We were constantly putting layers of clothes on and off in an attempt to be comfortable. It was a relief when we finally dropped below tree line and we were sheltered from the wind. It took us over 3 hours and go about 3 miles.

After 5 days of being beaten up by the White Mountains, we planned on a shorter day. Our friend Marty McFly knew a thru hiker from 2007 that had a house in North Conway, NH. Luckly, she was happy to pick us up and give us a bed & shower for the night. We had a great night with pizza and a good night sleep. Thank you so much M&M.

Kristen mentioned this before but pictures from my phone truly do not give justice to the beauty of the White Mountains. Kristen will upload pictures from her camera onto Facebook when we get home.




Kristen walking through the clouds coming off of Mt Washington yesterday.




Notice the trail zig zagging up the base of Mt Jefferson.

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President Mt. Washington

Day: 143 (August 15)
Starting location: Mizpah Spring Hut
Ending location: Madison Hut
State: NH
Miles today: 11.8
Miles total: 1,852.3

We awoke to one of the croo members singing a lovely wake up song. Yesterday was a voilin wake up call and today was a serenade, the huts are so neat! We helped by cleaning up the kitchen and dining room after the guests had left as our morning chores. We quickly scarfed down breakfast and got pumped for our hike up to the infamous Mt. Washington. We had been looking forward to this climb for a while and it was finally here.

The hike itself wasn't that bad, and having Mt. Washington in the background was very motivating. The climb was rocky but pretty gradual and we finally arrived on the summit around 12:15. The summit itself was an absolute zoo. Mt. Washington is unlike other mountians because there are mutliple ways to the top. You can hike, drive via the Auto Road or take the Cog Railroad. There had to be at least 1,500 people, it was crazy. Sadly for all of us, there was no view from the top which is the case 60% of the time. Oh well!

Mt. Washington is known for having the country's worst weather. The record high on the summit it 72 degrees. The average temperature is 28 degrees. It holds the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded at 231 mph. For us, it was a brisk 52 degrees with winds of 25 mph. For more fun facts about the weather on Mt. Washington visit this website:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_(New_Hampshire)?wasRedirected=true


We had lunch at the snack bar on the summit and we visited the museum to learn more about the mountain. It was 2:00 by the time we finished and we knew we had to get going in order to make it to the next hut.

The next 6 miles were rocky and tiresome. We finally made it to Madison Hut around 6:30 but we were beat. The guests and croo were in the middle of dinner so we had to wait outside in order to even ask if there was space for us to stay. Dinner took forever because we found out that the croo was short staffed for the night. Luckily for us they took all 8 thru hikers that were waiting outside and we spent the remainder of the night washing dishes and preparing for breakfast in the morning. We finally got to bed around 10:30 and we slept like logs because we were so tired.




Mt Washington in the distance, we are getting closer!




Lakes of the Clouds Hut overlooking Mt Washington



We made it!!


The Cog Railroad travels to and from the summit!


Conan + Backwards

Speech Time

Day: 142 (August 14)
Starting location: Zealand Falls Hut
Ending location: Mizpah Spring Hut
State: NH
Miles today: 14.1
Miles total: 1,840.5

Kristen forgot yesterday to explain our work for stay. If you guessed washing dishes, well you got it. We were put to work in the kichen for about a hour washing everything from pots & pans, plates, bowls, and cups. Washing is done the old fashion way in the huts with no dish washer and everything was washed by hand. Work for stay was a neat experience and it was the least we could do for a free night stay in a hut. Some thru hikers will speak badly of the AMC but we have found them to be very accomodating and flexible. Families spent about $100/person to stay a night in a hut and the crews will go out of their way to help thru hikers in anyway they can.

We woke up this morning at 6:30am to one of the crew members playing a volin. It was nice to wake up to something other than a stop watch. After packing up our things, we hit the trail and made a short stop to see if our favorite moose was still in the pond north of the hut. Sure enough he was still there feeding on the plants on the bottom of the pond. Moose are simply enormous animals. Seeing a moose has definitely been a highlight of our trip.

For the Whites, we had a pretty easy morning until we hit Crawford Notch. Crawford Notch was at 1,277 feet of elevation. Mt Washington is at 6,288 feet of elevation...so there was only one way to go and that was up. The climb up from Crawford Notch to Mt Webster and Mt Jackson was once again steep and long. Once on top of Mt Jackson we were rewarded with our first good view of Mt Washington.

We made it to Mizpah Spring Hut around 5pm. We asked one of the crew members if there were any spots available for work for stay. Lucky there were but instead of doing dishes we were asked to do a talk to the guests on our thru hike. After dinner, the crew made an annoucement that our talk would be held in the libriary at 8:30pm. To our surprise we were greeted by over 25 people waiting to hear about our thru hike. For over a hour we talk about our journey and answered questions. We really enjoyed talking with everyone and it sure beat doing dishes.




Mt Webster




Mt Jackson. Mt Washington is the mountain off in the distance. We will climb President Washington tomorrow.

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Spotted: Bullwinkle

Day: 141 (August 13)
Starting location: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Ending location: Zealand Falls Hut
State: NH
Miles today: 9.7
Miles total: 1,826.4

The trail this morning was once again steep and rocky. The rugged nature of the Whites really slows down our pace, but it's okay because these mountains are just beautiful.

We stopped by Galehead Hut to see if there were any leftovers from breakfast. Sadly there were not so we pushed on. Our only steep climb of the day was up South Twin Mountain. I have discovered a great radio programs on NPR called "On Point" which made the climb more tolerable. When we reached the top we were rewarded with amazing views of Franconia Ridge. We have been fortunate enough to have amazing weather from the time we arrived in the Whites.

We made it to Zealand Falls Hut around dinner time and we were able to secure work for stay. The hardest part was waiting outside for what seemed like forever while all the guests enjoyed dinner. Oh did it smell good. Once the crew cleaned up we were able to feast on the leftovers---chicken parm, peas, salad, fresh bread, chile con carne and a wonderful spread of cookies and brownies. It was glorious and we had our fill! They allowed us to set up our sleeping bags on top of the dining tables once everyone had gone to sleep. For never having slept on a table before I think we both slept pretty well!

I almost forgot to tell you about our most exciting part of the day! While everyone was eating their dinner, we wandered down to a little pond near the hut. In the middle of the pond was a huge bull moose! Unfortunately we weren't able to get a true gauge on how big he was because he was almost fully submerged in the water. However, the rack on him was enormous! He just sat there with his head underwater eating the grass on the bottom of the pond. Every once and a while he would pop his head up and get some air. He knew we were there watching him, yet he just kept on with his business. I have to say it was quite thrilling to see him, only 50 feet away! Yay, we finally saw a moose-that means when we reach Katahdin our hike will truly be complete!




Jason taking a dip in a waterfall. Brrr....




Zealand Falls Hut




Yep that's a MOOSE!!




Look at the water dripping off his antlers!

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Franconia Ridge

Day: 140 (August 12)
Starting location: Lincoln, NH
Ending location: Garfield Ridge Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 10.2
Miles total: 1,816.7

A taxi picked us up at Chet's house at 7:30am and dropped us off at the trail head on the base of Franconia Ridge. Yesterday we showed you a picture of Lonesome Lake with Franconia Ridge in the background. The mountains in the whites often look a bit daunting when you see them off in the distance. The climb up Franconia Ridge was a steep and steady for several hours. As we climbed and began to approach the top of the ridge we noticed that the trees began to get shorter and shorter until they became bushes. The weather in the whites is so harsh that it is very difficult for plant life to live in the higher elevations. That is why many of the mountain tops in the whites are what is called "above treeline" meaning there are no trees and hikers are totally exposed to the elements. This is what makes the whites dangerous because there is no way to shelter yourself from bad weather on the exposed ridges.

Franconia Ridge consists of three different mountains Little Haystack Mountain, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette. Once on top of the ridge it was above treeline hiking for 5 miles. To put it simply it was nothing Kristen and I have ever seen our of lives. It was just ridiculous. We had lunch on top of Mt Lincoln for quite awhile just to enjoy the scenary.

After only 10 miles, we pulled into camp around 6pm. It is hard to plan our days now that we are in the Whites because they are so difficult. Tomorrow we will stay in our first hut and really looking forward to it.




Franconia Ridge




Looking up at Mt Lincoln




Lunch on Mt Lincoln

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The Whites Aren't for Wimps!

Day: 139 (August 11)
Starting location: Kinsman Pond Shelter
Ending location: Lincoln, NH
State: NH
Miles today: 4.9
Miles total: 1,806.5

For the first time since Georgia, we both woke up with sore muscles. And I thought we were in pretty good shape! We quickly packed up and headed towards town. On our way we passed our first of the AMC huts.

The Appalachian Mountain Club operates nine huts throughout the White Mountians. Typically a hut consists of a main dining room with a number of bunkhouses connected. The huts have running water and are solar and propaned powered. Huts have "croos" or workers who cook and maintain the facility. For $100 you get a bunk, dinner and breakfast. Thru-hikers can work for stay instead of paying that rate, and we get to feast on the leftovers from dinner. We haven't stayed in one yet, but we are planning on it!

Anyway, we stopped in Lonesome Lake Hut. There were left over pancakes that we were able to score. I think they were sweet potato, which are my favorite!

After a quick stop by the Lonesome Lake, which was absolutely georgous, we were finally on our way. We got to town just in time for lunch. We feasted on some BBQ sandwhiches and sweet tea.
Next we headed over to the Price Chopper to resupply. We have finally mastered the art of the resupply and our cart was filled candy, cookies and mostly just junk. Jason picked up one pound of twisslers...I don't think he is worried about pack weight anymore.

We stayed the night at a local trail angels house named Chet. Chet is a young man who survived an accident when a camp stove exploded in his house. He spent nearly a year fighting for his life and now he has opened his home to Thru Hikers. It was a great place to relax, do laundry and shower up before heading back into the Whites.




Lonesome Lake Hut




Us on Lonesome Lake. The pictures don't do it justice! Franconia Ridge is in the background, we will climb it tomorrow.

Conan + Backwards

Warning: Difficult Terrain Ahead

Day: 138 (August 10)
Starting location: Beaver Brook Shelter
Ending location: Kinsman Pond Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 13.0
Miles total: 1,801.6

We started the day with a very steep and rocky climb down from Mt Moosilauke. At times we had to get down on our hands and knees to climb down the steep rock faces. We have fallen in almost every state so far and New Hampshire has been no different. We both fell down this morning but thankfully didn't result in any major injuries.

Today was pretty slow going. The terrain is so difficult that it is tough to get into a grove during the day. It took us until 4pm to go 9 miles. Since we still had a good amount of daylight we decided to push on the additional 4 miles to Kinsman Pond Shelter. This proved to be a bad decision. The additional miles included climbing Kinsman Mountain which was the hardest climb that we have faced since the beginning of our trip in Georgia. The best way to describe it is we were no longer "hiking" but rather "rock climbing." The Whites are certainly not for the faint hearted. Many of the trails have signs saying that inexperience hikers should consider finding a different route.




The waterfalls coming down from Mt Moosilauke

Conan + Backwards

Worth the Hype

Day: 137 (August 9)
Starting location: Glencliff, NH
Ending location: Beaver Brook Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 8.0
Miles total: 1,788.6


I woke up feeling much better, thank goodness, so we headed back to the trail. We wanted to get an early start becuase we had a big mountain to climb. Mt. Moosilauke is the biggest mountain since the smokies standing at over 4800'. It also marks the unoffical start of the White Mountains.

The climb was long but not too bad. It actually wasn't as steep as we thought. As we approached the summit we saw signs that informed us that we were entering an Alpine Zone. That means that were going to be above treeline. The nearer we got to the top the less trees there were. Eventually we were fully exposed and out in the open. Even though we had previously been sweating on the climb up, we quickly put on our jackets. The winds above treeline are fierce and they make it real cold real fast.

We were so lucky to get a semi-clear day up on the summit. The views from the top were stunning. I honestly haven't seen mountains that big or that beautiful. We hadn't been in the Whites for more than 10 miles and already we have seen one of the best views of the entire trip. It was awesome!

We enjoyed lunch on the summit then headed towards the shelter halfway down the mountain. The part of the downhill we did today wasn't bad, but apparently the rest of the way down is real steep. We will let you know in the morning!





Entering the Alpine Zone




Almost to the Summit!!




She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes.

Conan + Backwards

Not Again

Day: 136 (August 8)
Starting location: Glencliff, NH
Ending location: Glencliff, NH
State: NH
Miles today: 0.0
Miles total: 1,781.7

Poor Kristen didn't have a good night last night. She was up most of the night throwing up. The last time Kristen got sick we made the decision to hike out of Kent, CT with the hope that she would get better. As we all know, that turned out to be a very poor decision and Kristen spent the better part of 3 days in the woods being absolutely miserable with giardia. This time around we decided to play it safe and take a zero day at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. This way we could see if she felt better while in town and also have the ability to get her to a doctor if we needed to.

In the morning Kristen was feeling a little better but her stomach was still bothering her a bit. She was able to hold down some chicken fingers for lunch which was a great sign. By dinner time she was really beginning to feel better. The Hikers Welcome Hostel was a great place to rest. We spent most of the day watching TV and visiting with the other hikers.

We plan on hiking out tomorrow. We are definitely glad it seems to have been a food related illness and not something more serious.




Hostels are generally pretty basic. What do you expect for $15 per person?

Conan + Backwards

Hikers Welcome Hostel

Day: 135 (August 7)
Starting location: Ore Hill Shelter
Ending location: Glencliff, NH
State: NH
Miles today: 7.5
Miles total: 1,781.7

We had another great night of sleep because of the chilly temperatures. It's so nice to be snug and cozy in your sleeping bag. It just makes it hard to get out! When we emerged from our tent, Chopsticks had a fire going. It reminded me so much of our cold early days in Georgia. They say that you finish the trail in temperatures similar to what you started in. It hasn't been that cold yet but you never know in the higher elevations.

Our hike today was short but pretty. The trail was beautiful and green. Jason and I are getting so excited about the White Mountains. They say it's the toughest, yet most beautiful part of the trail.

We got to NH25 around lunchtime and we walked the half mile down to the Hikers Welcome Hostel. We spent the afternoon relaxing and resting up before we enter the Whites. There are a bunch of us at the hostel tonight, I think we are all going to town to get dinner and resupply.




Hiker Crossing



A bunch of us at dinner.

Conan + Backwards

White Mountain National Forest

Day: 134 (August 6)
Starting location: Smart Mountain Fire Tower
Ending location: Ore Hill Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 12.4
Miles total: 1,773.1

Last night we had a great night sleep. The Smart Mountain Fire Tower was above 3,000 feet and it easily got into the lower 40s. We find that we always sleep better when it is cooler and we are able to stay comfortably in our sleeping bags.

Today we offically entered into the the White Mountain National Forest. The White Mountains are something that thru hikers have looked forward since Springer Mountain, GA. The Whites are considered the most amazing section of the entire trail but also the most challenging. After 1,700 miles we both are in very good shape. With that being said, we know that we are about to seriously get our butt kicked by the White Mountains.

We met Warren Doyle today. Mr. Doyle is a 16 time thru hiker of the AT and actually holds seminars on thru hiking the AT. Many people attend his seminars to listen how he has been so successful on thru hiking when normally over 75% fail to complete the trail. We mentioned to him that before setting out on the trail the most we had ever hiked was 1 night and 2 days. You could tell he was a bit surprised at our success thus far but explained to us that we must have the right temperment for the trail. Maybe he is right.

I also want to elaborate a bit on what Kristen said about why we are slowing down. On the trail you often hear the saying, "It's not about the destination it is about the journey." Our blog may be named "Klauks to Katahdin" but our trip has never been about Katahdin. Often times people get so consumed with Katahdin that they forget to enjoy the journey and all the moments in between. I am very proud of how Kristen and I have done our journey thus far. We have never lost track that this trip is for us and not about reaching some end. We have always hiked our own hike and enjoyed every moment together both the good and the bad.





Watch what you wish for mom...I may be able to pull back my hair in a ponytail soon.





Lunchtime

Conan + Backwards

Up and Down...Literally

Day: 133 (August 5)
Starting location: Moose Mountain Shelter
Ending location: Smarts Mountain Fire Tower
State: NH
Miles today: 12.4
Miles total: 1,760.6

Our first night with our winter gear was rather warm so we wound up sleeping on top of our sleeping bags. We we both amazed at how much fluffier our winter bags are compared to our summer bags...our winter bags have much more down feathers.

Already New Hampshire is much more vuluptious than recent states. Even though we only hiked 12 miles today, it was up 2,000 feet and down 2,000 feet all day long. By the end of the day we were both pretty beat. The terrain in NH is only going to get more rugged, so this is just practice for what's ahead!

Many of you have asked why we are slowing down mileage wise. We could easily finish the trail in about a month but to be honest, why rush? Thru hiking the AT is most certainly not a race. Neither of us have ever been to this part of the country so we really want to take our time. Who knows when we will get the chance to spend this time together again, so we are going to take full advantage of it. Another reason we are slowing down is because the terrain in the Whites, as well as southern Maine, is very difficult. We heard that if you are used to hiking 18-20 mile days (which we are) then get ready to scale back to 10-12 miles per day. It just takes longer on rugged terrain. But bring it on, we are ready!

Thanks for all the recent comments friends, we love reading them! When we get a chance we promise we will get around to writing a FAQ post. Sorry it's taken this long Erika!!

Oh and Happy 25th Birthday to my cousin Eric! I will spare you from me singing the "Hey Eric, it's your Birthday" song. But then again I don't live on the moon.




We haven't posted a picture of a privy yet, and we thought this one at Moose Mountain would be the first. It kind of looks like a throne don't you think? You can do your business and enjoy the great outdoors all at the same time!

Conan + Backwardsl

Pack Weight

Day: 132 (August 4)
Starting location: Hanover, NH
Ending location: Moose Mountain Shelter
State: NH
Miles today: 11.0
Miles total: 1,748.3

We had a pretty lazy morning packing up all our gear and food. We caught a bus back to downtown Hanover which was actually the trail head. Hanover is one of several towns on the AT where the trail goes right through the middle of town. If you look closely you can notice white blazes painted on the telephone poles and lampoles right down main street. We often wonder how residents feel about the AT going right through their town, especially an upper-scale town like Hanover. Our experience in Hanover was great. Walking into town we had several people honk and wave at us and a few people stopped to see if we needed any help getting around.

The added weight of our winter gear and sleeping bags have made our packs noticably heavier. It was so noticable that it was hard to believe our packs ever weighed this much. The truth is, it has been since Damacus, VA since we last had any winter gear. That is 1,300 miles and 3 months ago.

I spent most of the day trying to figure out how I could possibly drop weight. I thought of a few things I could get rid of, but it is tough to complain when you know the men/women in our military are carrying packs that are at least twice as heavy as mine. The truth of the matter is, we really don't know what to expect when we get into the White Mountains. The White Mountains is easily the most dangerous place on the entire trail. It regularly snows with hurricane force winds on the top of Mt. Washington in the middle of the summer. Don't believe me, check out the weather tower on the summit of Mt. Washington through this link:

http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit.php

For some reason I am always so tired after leaving town. It is 9pm and I am beat. Goodnight.




Kristen using this rope to climb up this rock face

Conan + Backwards